1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a trough mangle having a mangle roll that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexide mangle trough associated with the mangle roll.
2. Prior Art
The invention pertains to trough mangles, which are used in commercial laundries. Here, the mangling performance of such mangles is critical. High mangling outputs are achieved in known trough mangles by the latter being provided with two or an even larger number of mangle rolls located one after another. Each individual mangle roll is assigned a curved mangle trough. The pieces of laundry are moved along on the successive mangle troughs by the mangle rolls. In order to transfer the pieces of laundry from one mangle trough to the other, curved bridges are arranged between successive mangle troughs. In order to move the pieces of laundry along on the bridges, conveying means are provided, which are usually mangle belts, as they are known. The bridges and the mangle belts require extra expenditure during the production of such trough mangles. Furthermore, during the transfer of the pieces of laundry from one mangle trough to the other in the region of the bridges and the mangle belts, malfunctions may occur which, in the extreme case, lead to interruptions to the mangling operation. Finally, the mangle belts leave imprints on the laundry which, above all in the case of table linen, spoil the visual appearance.
On the basis of the above, the invention is based on the object of providing a trough mangle for commercial laundries in particular which has a high mangling performance but does not have the disadvantages cited at the beginning.
A trough mangle to achieve this object has a mangle roll (10) that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexible mangle trough (12) associated with the mangle roll, wherein the mangle roll (10) has a diameter which is greater than 1600 mm. The fact that the mangle roll has a diameter which is greater than 1600 mm, in particular in the range between 1600 and 2600 mm, preferably between 1800 and 2400 mm, permits the performance of a trough mangle to be increased without additional mangle rolls. Surprisingly, it has been shown that the mangling performance in the trough mangle according to the invention may be doubled without the roll diameter being twice as large. The mangle performance of a conventional trough mangle with two mangle rolls which, for example, have a diameter of 1300 mm, can be achieved in the case of the trough mangle according to the invention with a single mangle roll whose diameter is around 2000 mm. This is associated in particular with the fact that the resilient behavior of the mangle trough in the circumferential direction of the mangle roll is improved at greater roll diameters. In addition, the loss of smoothing path along the bridges between successive mangle rolls and the loss of evaporation performance are dispensed with. Increasing the mangle performance by means of a mangle roll of a greater diameter instead of the previous sequence of a plurality of mangle rolls also leads to bridges between successive mangle troughs and, in particular, mangle belts susceptible to faults no longer being required.
The trough mangle according to the invention can also have a plurality of successive mangle rolls and mangle troughs with diameters of more than 1600 mm, in order to increase the mangle performance further. Although the pieces of laundry then also have to be transferred from one mangle trough to the other, as a result of the larger mangle rolls, the number of mangle rolls and mangle troughs can be reduced, so that a lower number of transfer operations of the pieces of laundry to following mangle troughs is required, which also leads to a reduction in the expenditure on construction and the susceptibility of such a trough mangle to faults.
A further trough mangle for achieving the object cited at the beginning or for developing the trough mangle described previously wherein a drive side of the mangle roll is assigned a drive, and the drive carries the mangle roll (10) on the drive side (33). Accordingly, the end of the mangle roll which is associated with a drive (drive side) is carried by the drive. In particular, the drive side of the mangle roll is mounted in the drive unit. This renders a separate bearing for the mangle roll on the drive side superfluous. In addition, the structural dimensions are reduced, since as a result of the missing separate bearing on the drive side, the drive can be placed closer to the relevant end of the mangle roll.
The drive side of the mangle roll is preferably mounted on an output drive shaft of the drive, specifically in particular of a gearbox belonging to the latter. Because of its design, the output drive shaft of the gearbox has an internal mounting which is suitable to absorb the bearing forces of the mangle roll on the drive side.
The mangle roll is connected to the drive, in particular the gearbox, via a coupling flange, according to a preferred refinement of the invention. This separate coupling flange may be provided with a torque-transmitting means to be connected to the gearbox and can be flange-mounted on the relevant end of the mangle roll in a simple way by means of screws. This makes it possible to achieve a connection between the drive, in particular the gearbox, and the mangle roll which can be produced simply and easily replaced if required.
A further trough mangle for achieving the object cited at the beginning or for developing the trough mangle having at least one mangle roll (10) that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexible mangle trough (12) associated with the mangle roll (10), wherein a drive (32) of the mangle roll (10) has a gearbox which is designed as an epicyclic gearbox, an angled epicyclic gearbox (36), a cyclo gearbox or a harmonic drive gearbox Accordingly, the gearbox of the drive is designed as an epicyclic gearbox. This makes it possible to reduce the drive speed of a motor, in particular of an electric motor, to the relatively low rotational speed of the mangle roll which, in particular, has a large diameter. The epicyclic gearbox makes it possible to implement large step-down ratios with small structural dimensions. Furthermore, the output drive shaft of the epicyclic gearbox has a relatively high load bearing capacity, which permits the mangle roll on the drive side to be mounted directly on the output drive shaft of the epicyclic gearbox. Use is preferably made of an angled epicyclic gearbox. As a result, the electric motor serving to drive the mangle roll can be flange-mounted on the angled epicyclic gearbox with a longitudinal axis oriented at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the mangle roll. This leads to a particularly compact structural configuration of the drive side of the trough mangle. In addition, the gearbox may alternatively also be a cyclo gearbox or a harmonic drive gearbox.
A further solution of the object cited at the beginning, which can also be used to develop the trough mangle having at least one mangle roll (10) that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexible mangle trough (12) associate with the mangle roll (10), wherein, on the drive side (33) and on the non-driven side (34) opposite the latter, the mangle roll (10) is connected to a frame (15) such that it can pivot, in each case via a lever mechanism (30, 31). Accordingly, the mangle roll is pivotably connected to a frame, in each case via a lever mechanism, both on the drive side and on the opposite side, namely the drive-free side. The lever mechanisms make it possible to connect even mangle rolls with large diameters and correspondingly high weights, but also with high contact forces on the mangle trough to the frame in a stable manner.
According to a preferred development of the invention, the lever mechanisms of the drive side and of the drive-free side are coupled to one another. This is preferably done by means of a compensating shaft. As a result, synchronization of the lever mechanisms associated with the opposite ends of the mangle roll is implemented, so that the mangle roll can be moved up and down without the longitudinal mid-axis of the mangle roll changing its direction in the process.
In a preferred refinement of the trough mangle according to the invention, the compensating shaft is arranged on a pivot axis of such a lever that belongs to each lever mechanism and on which the mangle roll is mounted. As a result, the compensating shaft can be a constituent part of the pivotable mounting of the lever mechanisms, and at the same time, connect the levers in such a way that they are pivoted to the same extent, the compensating shaft being rotatable about its longitudinal mid-axis, forming the pivots for the levers. The compensating shaft is preferably dimensioned and constructed in such a way that it is substantially free of torsion.
According to a preferred development of the invention, the weight of the drive mounted on the lever mechanism on the drive side can be compensated for, to be specific in particular geometrically or mechanically and/or hydraulically or pneumatically. The mangle roll, whose diameter is relatively large, requires a powerful drive. This drive, to be specific in particular the angled epicyclic gearbox as well, has a weight which has a noticeable effect on the contact force of the mangle roll against the mangle trough. Since this weight, caused by the dead weight of the drive, is present only on the drive side, according to the invention, it is compensated for by the contact force of the mangle roll on the mangle trough, exerted by the lever mechanism on the drive-free side, being increased on the opposite side in accordance with the weight of the drive. This is done either geometrically or mechanically, by that lever of the lever drive on which a pressure-medium cylinder acts in order to press the mangle roll onto the mangle trough being correspondingly longer on the drive-free side than on the drive side. Alternatively, or additionally, however, the compensation for the weight of the drive can also be carried out hydraulically or pneumatically, for example by the pressure-medium cylinder on the drive-free side having a greater piston area and, as a result, producing a contact force of the mangle roll against the mangle trough which is higher by the weight of the drive. However, the pressure-medium cylinders can also have different pressures applied to them. The piston areas of the pressure-medium cylinders can then also be equally large, that is to say identical pressure-medium cylinders can be used.
A further trough mangle for achieving the object cited at the beginning or else for developing the trough mangle having in particular a mangle roll (10) that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexible mangle trough (12) associated with the mangle roll (10), wherein the resilient mangle trough (12) is formed of trough sections connected to one another. Accordingly, the resilient mangle trough is formed from trough sections connected to one another. The preferably equally large trough sections of the mangle trough surrounding the mangle trough in some areas, preferably in the area of a lower half, thus extend only over part of the circumference of the mangle roll which is surrounded by the entire mangle trough. In the longitudinal direction of the mangle roll, on the other hand, each trough section extends over the entire length of the mangle roll. Dividing the mangle trough in the circumferential direction in accordance with the invention does not have a noticeable influence on the stability of said trough, but a certain flexibility or resilience is maintained. In the longitudinal direction of the mangle roll, on the other hand, in which the mangle trough is preferably intended to be rigid, the rigidity is maintained, since in this direction the mangle trough is not divided.
Furthermore, provision is made to construct the individual trough sections intrinsically independently. This applies in particular with regard to their (heating) energy supply. Consequently, each trough section has its own connections for the feed and discharge of the (heating) energy, for example, steam, hot oil or the like. As a result, in order to form the mangle trough, the trough sections merely have to be connected to one another.
According to a preferred refinement of the invention, the mangle trough is assembled from two equally large trough sections, each of which extends over approximately one quarter of the circumference of the mangle roll. The two trough sections are connected to each other in the middle (in relation to the circumferential direction of the mangle roll), that is to say approximately at the lower vertex of the semicircular mangle trough. This connection is provided by at least one welded seam running continuously in the longitudinal direction of the mangle trough. This welded seam is designed and dimensioned such that it has a section modulus which corresponds to the section modulus of the usually double-walled trough sections, so that the resilient behavior of the trough mangle assembled from the trough sections is approximately equally large in the area of the connection between the trough sections as in the adjacent areas of the mangle trough which is formed by the trough sections. This means that the mangle trough formed from the welded-together trough sections has an approximately equal section modulus over its entire course and, as a result, has an equal flexional behavior over the entire circumference of the mangle roll, as a result of which, when the mangle roll is pressed into the mangle trough, the mangle trough everywhere nestles uniformly against the mangle roll.
A further trough mangle for achieving the object having in particular a mangle roll (10) that can be driven so as to revolve and a flexible mangle trough (12) associated with the mangle roll (10), wherein the angle roll (10) has a wrapping which has a thickness between 6 and 25mm. This may also be a development of the mangle troughs described previously. Accordingly, the mangle roll is provided with a wrapping, which has a thickness between 6 an 25 mm, in particular 12 to 20 mm. Such a wrapping withstands the loadings which arise when a relatively large mangle roll is pressed against the mangle trough.
The wrapping is preferably formed in one layer, but this does not rule out the single-layer wrapping intrinsically being formed from a plurality of layers. The single-layer wrapping is closed endlessly in the circumferential direction of the mangle roll by a substantially transition-free or at least a virtually offset-free connecting seam. As a result, the wrapping of the mangle roll presses the pieces of laundry to be smoothed uniformly onto the smoothing surface of the mangle trough at all points on the circumference of the mangle roll. The wrapping formed in this way also withstands the high pressures which the mangle roll exerts on the mangle trough.
The wrapping is preferably formed from a felt or felt-like material. This has the requisite spring characteristics, because of the thickness specially selected according to the invention, as a result of which, in the wrapping of the trough mangle according to the invention, it is possible to dispense with the springs which are common in conventional trough mangles and which would not withstand the pressures, or not withstand them permanently, which arise in the case of trough mangles with large diameters of the mangle rolls. If appropriate, however, the (highly-loadable) springs that withstand the loadings which arise can be provided.